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Feng Shou-KungFu Zig Zag Footwork

Within the Lishi Feng Shou -Kung Fu system there are many different methods of footwork (BuFa) . One of the most popular is the triangular footwork pattern known as “Zig Zag Steps” (San Jiao Bu) many practitioners of Feng Shou-Kung Fu think that the Zig Zag steps are used purely as a defensive method to evade or dodge the opponents in-coming attack. But, in actual fact the Zig Zag Steps can also be used as an offensive method to attack your opponent using either strikes, kicks or both at the sometime.
Zig Zag Stepping can be used in a short attack method which basically means if you start with a right leading fighting stance, then you will remain in the right fighting stance as you move towards your opponent using Zig Zag Steps as shown in the picture at the top of this blog. Or you can use a long attack stepping method which means you can alternate from right to left fighting stance as you Zig Zag Step towards your opponent.
Obviously, you would properly only be able to Zig Zag Step once or twice, before your opponent reads what you are doing and adjusts to your stepping strategy? So it is important that once you step out using the Zig Zag Step that you take advantage of the position you have placed yourself in to launch a successful attack. By Zig Zag Stepping to the outside of your opponent striking arm or leg will place you in a safer position to attack, than stepping to his or her inside where you could run into his or her rear hand or leg.
In the Traditional Chinese Internal Martial Arts they have a saying ” That the hands open the doors and the feet win the fight” this means that the emphasis on footwork is greatly important and should be combined with every aspect of your fighting art. The Zig Zag Stepping method is just one of many methods of footwork that is used in the practice of Feng Shou-Kung Fu as taught through the LFIAA by Laoshi Keith Ewers.